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Journalism of Courage
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Through his periodicals and a couple of other newspapers, including Oudh Akhbar and The Pioneer, he tried to eliminate the sectarian attitude that fostered emotionally charged and conservative points of view. The launch of three bilingual periodicals – The Loyal Mohammedans of India (1860), The Aligarh Institute Gazette (1866), and The Tehzibul Akhlakh (1870) – was a significant step by him in abating the medievalist worldview and faith-based bigotry that plagued Indian society. He also founded Madrasatul Uloom.
Who is referred to as he in the above passage?
(a) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
(b) Maulana Hasrat Mohani
(c) Badruddin Tyabji
(d) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Cultural pluralism was very close to Sir Syed’s heart, and his writings tell a nuanced story of colonised India’s ideological and social crosscurrents. Through his periodicals and a couple of other newspapers, including Oudh Akhbar and The Pioneer, he tried to eliminate the sectarian attitude that fostered emotionally charged and conservative points of view.
The launch of three bilingual periodicals – The Loyal Mohammedans of India (1860), The Aligarh Institute Gazette (1866), and The Tehzibul Akhlakh (1870) – was a significant step by Sir Syed in abating the medievalist worldview and faith-based bigotry that plagued Indian society.
In 1875, he founded Madrasatul Uloom – a school modelled after British institutions that included hostel facilities for students. In 1877, the school was elevated to a college and renamed the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College. It was inaugurated by then Viceroy Lord Lytton.
Primarily targeting Muslims, MAO College kept its door open to all communities, and a sizeable number of Hindus joined the college. It is worth mentioning that the first graduate was Ishwari Prasad. From 1877 to 1898, 182 students passed different examinations. At the time of Sir Syed’s death on March 27, 1898, there were 285 Muslim and 64 Hindu students.
Therefore, a is the correct answer.
(Refer: How Sir Syed reconciled faith with reason)
Consider the following pairs of historical mosques and their states:
| Mosques | States |
| 1. Cheraman Juma Mosque | Tamil Nadu |
| 2. Palaiya Jumma Palli | Kerala |
| 3. Barwada Mosque | Rajasthan |
Which of the above given pairs are not correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Early footprints of Islam in India
Cheraman Juma Mosque of Kerala, Palaiya Jumma Palli of Tamil Nadu, and Barwada Mosque in Ghogha of Gujarat (whose Qibla faces Jerusalem) are all dated to the 7th century. These were built by sailors and merchants from Arabia, with the support of local Hindu kings. Naturally, these were the first people to bring Islamic lore to Indian shores.
Therefore, d is the correct answer.
(Refer: Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik | Five ways Islam entered India)
Consider the following statements with reference to Sarojini Naidu:
1. P.B.Shelly adviced her to infuse her poems with the richness of Indian culture.
2. She earned her the title “Nightingale of India”, bestowed upon her by Rabindranath Tagore.
3. ‘Damayante to Nala in the Hour of Exile’ , ‘In the Night’ and ‘In Gokhale’s Garden’ are some of her poems.
4. She held the distinction of being the first Indian woman elected as the president of the Indian National Congress at its Kanpur session in 1925.
Which of the above given statements is/are true?
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Born to Bengali parents in Hyderabad in 1879, Naidu was a woman of many talents. She was a prominent woman leader in India’s freedom struggle and a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, with whom she shared a warm camaraderie. Naidu held the distinction of being the first Indian woman elected as the president of the Indian National Congress at its Kanpur session in 1925. After independence, she also became the first governor of Uttar Pradesh. Above all, she is a pioneering figure in Indian English poetry.
Naidu’s poetry, often infused with rich imagery, emotive language, and musicality, earned her the title “Nightingale of India”, bestowed upon her by Mahatma Gandhi.
As a young girl, she began writing poetry much in the manner of English poets P. B. Shelley and Alfred Tennyson. This was noted by Edmund Gosse, an English poet and writer, who advised her to reveal in her poetry “the heart of India…the principles of antique religion… and to describe the flowers, the fruits, the trees…the gardens, the temples…to be a genuine poet of the Deccan, not a machine-made imitator of the English classics”. Naidu heeded this advice and successfully infused her poems with the richness of Indian culture. (Logically too, Shelly died in 1822. Naidu was born in 1879.)
All the above mentioned are works by Sarojini Naidu. To know more about her literary works, refer to the article mentioned below.
Therefore, c is the correct answer.
(Refer: Sarojini Naidu: A lyrical voice of women’s empowerment and nationalism)
Rudrapatna Krishnamurthy Shriramkumar, seen in news for winning a prestigious award, belongs to the field of:
(a) Fine Arts
(b) Music
(c) Medicine
(d) Astrology
The Music Academy, Chennai, has chosen violinist and composer Rudrapatna Krishnamurthy Shriramkumar for this year’s prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award.
Music Academy president N Murali said Shriramkumar is an acknowledged authority on the 19th century composer and writer Subbarama Dikshitar, nephew of the poet-saint Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the holy trinity of Carnatic music (the other two being Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri).
Therefore, b is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements:
Statement 1: Adivasis in Jharkhand and the larger Chhotanagpur region welcome the new year and the spring season with the Sarhul festival which is also celebrated in locations ranging from Assam to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
Statement 2: During the 19th and early 20th centuries, when tribes such as the Munda, Oraon, and Santal were sent to faraway places as indentured labour, Sarhul traveled with them.
Which one of the following is correct?
(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct, and Statement 2 is the correct explanation of Statement 1.
(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct, but Statement 2 is NOT the correct explanation of Statement 1.
(c) Statement 1 is correct, but Statement 2 is incorrect.
(d) Statement 1 is incorrect, but Statement 2 is correct.
Adivasis in Jharkhand and the larger Chhotanagpur region will welcome the new year and the spring season with the Sarhul festival on Tuesday.
Nature worship
Sal trees (Shorea robusta) are venerated in Adivasi tradition. They are seen as the abode of Sarna Maa, the deity protecting the village from inclement natural forces.
Sarhul, literally “worship of the Sal tree”, is among the most revered Adivasi festivals. It is rooted in nature worship and celebrates the symbolic union of the Sun and the Earth.
Chhotanagpur & beyond
Sarhul has been celebrated by tribes such as the Oraon, Munda, Santal, Khadia, and Ho, with unique names for the festival and particular ways of celebrations.
Anthropologist Sarat Chandra Roy, in his seminal work Oraon Religion and Customs (1928), observed that over time, Sarhul evolved from being a hunting-centred tradition to one that revolves around agricultural processes. This, he said, reflected the evolving lifestyle of Adivasis in Chhotanagpur.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, when tribes such as the Munda, Oraon, and Santal were sent to faraway places as indentured labour, Sarhul traveled with them. Today, the festival is celebrated in locations ranging from the tea gardens of Assam to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
Evolution of Sarhul
In the 1960s, Adivasi leader Baba Karthik Oraon, who advocated for social justice and the preservation of tribal culture, began a Sarhul procession from Hatma to the Siram Toli Sarna Sthal in Ranchi.
Therefore, a is the correct answer.
(Refer: In celebration of tribal festival Sarhul, link to communities’ history, politics)
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